← News feed Pan-Orthodox

Pope Leo XIV congratulates the U.S. on its 250th anniversary

July 3, 2026 · 1 min read

Pope Leo XIV celebrated the contributions of Catholics and immigrants to the United States in an open letter to Americans for the country’s 250th anniversary.

The letter, dated June 25 and released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Friday, also highlighted the principles of religious freedom and the right to life.

Unknown block type "cdn77.asset", specify a component for it in the `components.types` option Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, wrote that the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, “gave enduring voice to the ideals of liberty, equality, the pursuit of happiness, justice, and democratic self-government.”

The pope called religious freedom “among the most cherished of these principles,” writing that it is “central to the American promise, protecting both individual dignity and the peaceful coexistence of a diverse people.”

That freedom has allowed the Catholic Church to flourish in the U.S., serving the nation in many fields including “education, the preferential care for the poor, healthcare, and basic social services,” Leo wrote

The pope also underscored the importance for the country’s history of the “God-given dignity of every…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

⚑ Report

💬 Comments (15) 🌐 Show original

Constantin Marin

In Cluj, I doubted when I read that the pope mentioned the contribution of the church in education. At the Holy Mary School in Cluj, where I go with my niece, the sisters from the Holy Mary Order have taught generations of children, exactly as the pope says.

Margarita Prifti

If this is the case, then we have seen the same thing in Durrës: the sisters of Saint Vincent have maintained the primary school near our church for years and taught our children free of charge, especially after the 90s. Pope Leo, as an American, knows well how much Catholics have given here. But what do you think, will this work of theirs continue even when more difficult times come for immigration?

Anna Nováková

Here in Liberec, I see it similarly - the sisters from the Congregation of St. The Voršils ran the elementary school there for decades, and then also the gymnasium, where my boys now go. Pope Leo got it right when he wrote about education and caring for the poor, Catholics did it in our country even in times when it was not easy.

Надежда Васильева

Here in Samara, Catholic sisters also ran a boarding school for children from disadvantaged families for a long time; I remember how they collected things and fed them back in the 90s. Dad correctly wrote about education and caring for the poor - these are not words, but what people saw with their own eyes. I wonder if he mentioned something about the life of the unborn, there was a snippet in the article.

Ilie Popa

Thank you, Constantin, for giving the concrete example from Cluj. Here in Bucharest, at the "St. Joseph" school in the neighborhood, the Franciscan nuns have also held classes for decades, with exactly the same spirit that the pope is talking about. Do you think that now, with so many children coming from other countries, they still manage to keep the same atmosphere?

Olimbia Prifti

Yes, we all remember the sisters of St. Vincent in Durrës, my children also went there after 1990. I think their work will continue, because they are not waiting for good times to help. What do you think, do you have any new news from those sisters?

Pandeli Kristo

Yes, I also remember the sisters of Saint Vincent in Durrës, especially how they used to come to our homes with some food and kind words after the 1990s. My kids didn't go there, but my daughter took the old clothes every month. Have you heard if they still have that house near the hospital or did they have to move?

Ксения Лебедева

Yes, Nadezhda, here in Samara these Catholic sisters really ran a boarding school for many years, I also remember how in the nineties they took apart old things at the market and cooked porridge for children. The Pope directly wrote about the unborn in his letter - he emphasized the “right to life” as one of the main principles, so it was not for nothing that the fragment was left there in the article. Do any of the elders in your parish remember those sisters?

Ioana Stan

Yes, Constantin, it's exactly the same here in Constanța - the sisters from the Order of Saint Mary kept the kindergarten where my boy attended ten years ago, with that care for every child that is still felt today. I'm glad you mentioned it, it's a living example of what the pope writes. Do you think that the current generations still get the same patience from them?

Viorica Stan

Yes, Ioana, here in Bucharest the sisters from the same order ran a primary school where my niece studied a few years ago; the same care for each child, without rush. I think today's generations have a little more of that patience, but it's also up to us to ask them. What do you think, has the Kindergarten in Constanța changed a lot since then?

Антон Орлов

Yes, Ksenia, in the nineties, many such sisters actually saved children when the state was not at all willing. We also have a couple of Catholic communities in St. Petersburg, I remember; they ran shelters. And it’s good that the Pope said directly about the “right to life”; now this is just important. Are these sisters still there in Samara or have they already left?

Ștefan Stan

Yes, Ioana, and in Sibiu the sisters from the Order of Saint Mary took care of the kindergarten where my niece attended eight years ago, with the same tranquility and attention to each child. I think their patience still exists, but it's getting harder and harder to find at today's pace. Do you think that parents now really know how to ask for it?

Cristian Lungu

Yes, Ștefan, and in Constanța I saw the same care in the sisters of an old people's home where I went to fix the installation two years ago - every old person was treated like their own parent. Today's parents think they still ask for patience, but they ask for it more by words than by example. What do you think, do you think Sunday school could help them more?

Daniela Ciobanu

Yes, Viorica, those sisters also knew how to really wait for the child to understand, not just to tick. My youngest niece was at the kindergarten in the Mănăștur neighborhood two years ago, and I saw how their patience kind of melted due to busy schedules. Do you think the order could take over a small kindergarten around here again?

Elena Dumitrescu

Yes, Daniela, that real patience is really felt in the older sisters, not in that busy schedule now. My niece went to a small Catholic preschool a few years ago and you could tell the difference. Do you think there would be room to open one next to the cathedral, not necessarily in the Monastery?